Paras Mhambrey on KL Rahul’s captaincy: “Credit must go to him for the changes he made”

Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey praised stand-in skipper KL Rahul’s leadership after Day 4 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Saturday, December 17. He credited Rahul for the bowling changes and also his decision to take the new ball.

India are in firm control of the first Test with just a day to go. Chasing a mammoth target of 513, Bangladesh ended Day 4 on 272/6. They need another 241 runs for an improbable victory on the final day with just four wickets in hand.

At a press conference following the end of the fourth’s day play, Mhambrey was asked for his assessment of Rahul’s leadership, which has come under the scanner in the past. Praising the stand-in captain, he said:

“We have discussions with the captain, but eventually you also have to go with what he feels on the ground. Credit must go to him for a lot of the changes that he made. He rotated the bowlers really well. Gave the fast bowlers short bursts. At some stage, the ball was reversing as well, so that was good to see.

“When he realized that the fast bowlers had longer spells, he got the spinners in and rotated them very well. The new ball that he took as well, we got a couple of wickets with that. He took good decisions.”

Rahul is leading the Indian team in Rohit Sharma’s absence, who was ruled out of the first Test due to a thumb injury. The latter is likely to return to the playing XI for the second Test in Dhaka, which begins on December 22.

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“The discussion was to bowl in right areas” - Paras Mhambrey on comeback after wicketless first session

While India began the day in a commanding position, Bangladesh’s openers put up good resistance in the first session as the hosts did not lose a single wicket.

On the plan after a fruitless opening session, Mhambrey revealed that the talk was about being patient and bowling in the right areas. He stated:

“At the lunch break, the bowlers said during the discussion that batting was easy. The ball wasn’t doing anything like it did in the first innings. The discussion was to bowl in right areas, make them play and wait for the opportunity. We were rewarded for the same in the next two sessions."

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the bowling star for India, claiming three wickets for 50 runs. On what makes Axar a difficult bowler to bat against, Mhambrey explained:

“What stands out with Axar is, first, the kind of pace that he bowls with. It’s not easy for the batters to step out. Also, in terms of the angles that he bowls, the way he releases the ball, it’s very difficult for the batsmen to leave it or play it. In conditions where the ball is turning a little bit, you have to play those deliveries.”

Axar bowled Yasir Ali (five) and Mushfiqur Rahim (23) with deliveries that spun past the batters. He also had Nurul Hasan stumped for three.